By Nova Farida
President Prabowo Subianto is scheduled to officially inaugurate the 350 MW Kerinci Merangin Hydropower Plant in Jambi next week. The plant, constructed by PT Bukaka Teknik Utama Tbk (BUKK) through its subsidiary PT Kerinci Merangin Hidro (KMH), completed construction in March but has yet to begin commercial operations.
Director of BUKK, Afifuddin Suhaeli Kalla, confirmed the inauguration plans during an interview with Petromindo.com on Monday (June 2).
Read also: Bukaka targets Kerinci Merangin hydropower plant completed in 2025
Construction of the Kerinci hydropower plant began in 2019 with an initial completion target of November 2025. The project was finished seven months ahead of schedule, thanks to the dedicated efforts of the project team.
The plant comprises four generating units equipped with Vertical Francis turbines of 89.3 MW capacity, 103 MVA and 110 MVA generators, and a 16.5/150 kV main transformer. The investment in the project reached approximately USD 900 million.
The power generated is expected to support increasing electricity demand in Jambi and the broader Sumatra region. A power purchase agreement with state-owned utility PT PLN (Persero) was signed in November 2018.
Editing by Alexander Ginting
